The Shanghai New International Expo Center will host the 72nd global IEM event on August 3-6 for its tenth year in China

Intel and ESL, the world’s largest esports company, will bring Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM), the longest running global pro gaming circuit, to the Shanghai New International Expo Center on August 3-6, taking place during ChinaJoy 2018. The 72nd global IEM event will feature gripping Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) gameplay with eight top international CS:GO teams all battling for their share of a US $250,000 pool prize.

IEM Shanghai at ChinaJoy will host five invited teams and three teams that earned spots through qualifiers. The eight teams will participate in a double elimination group stage, followed by four teams fighting through a single elimination best-of-three matches on the main stage. The top two teams will then compete in a best-of-three grand final for a chance to take home the IEM championship trophy.

“Thousands of fans have attended esports tournaments throughout Asia, and we hope that after Sydney, the stop in Shanghai is another step towards building up CS:GO as a truly global esports title,” said Michal Blicharz, Vice President of Pro Gaming at ESL. “The passion behind the fans and players will make for an amazing esports experience that ESL looks to create, and we aim to make this event unforgettable.”

“Intel Extreme Masters Shanghai is always a thrilling event for attendees and continues to grow in viewership worldwide, making it a prime example of Intel’s gaming platform leadership in the region. We look forward to sharing Intel’s full gaming ecosystem of products, including the 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processors,” said Rui Wang, VP, Sales and Marketing, PRC Country Manager.

Five teams have been directly invited to participate in the tournament including Virtus Pro, NRG, TyLoo, Hellraisers and Gambit. Three qualifying spots are available to teams from Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand to battle through a series of online and offline qualifiers. In addition to the tournament, fans can explore the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference for the largest gaming and digital festival exhibition held in China and Asia.

IEM Shanghai will be held in conjunction with ChinaJoy 2018 at the massive Intel Gaming Hall where Intel and PC ecosystem partners will be featuring the latest gaming products based on Intel® Core™ i7 processors. The Intel Experience Area returns to showcase the best in VR, desktop and laptop gaming for attendees on site.

This marks the fifth time the global tournament will be hosted in Shanghai, and the tenth time in China. More information for how fans can attend can be found via http://2018-en.chinajoy.net/, or follow IEM on Twitter and Facebook.